The former actor starred in 'Eight is Enough' alongside Dick Van Patten.
Adam Rich, known for his role on the sitcom, Eight is Enough has died. He was 54. TMZ was the first to report the news. According to the site, Rich was found dead in his Los Angeles home. The cause of death has not been released.
The actor’s rep mourned him in a statement to ET.
"Adam was not just a warrior for erasing the stigma on mental illness, but a warrior for humanity. He had no ego. He genuinely cared about people. He was America’s Little Brother,” the statement said.
“He was loved by so many, especially by those who grew up with him watching Eight is Enough, or (Disney’s) The Devil and Max Devlin. He will be missed and forever cherished."
Rich famously played Nicolas, the youngest child of the Bradford bunch. The actor appeared on the show, which ran from 1977-1981, for all five seasons. In addition, his acting credits include Dungeons and Dragons and Code Red. In 2003, he appeared as himself in Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star.
Following the news of Rich's death, his former co-star Betty Buckley took to Facebook to share her condolences.
"Adam Rich was a light and my young pal for the four seasons I was blessed to work with him on "Eight Is Enough". I adored him and loved working with him in our scenes together on the show. He was so sweet, funny, fresh and natural. He brought a lot of joy to all of us on the show and to our audiences. Adam and I have remained friends all of these years. His love and support have always meant a lot to me. I am shocked by the news I received this morning of his death. Sending my love and deepest condolences to his friends and family. In recent years Adam dedicated himself to providing inspiration for others with mental and emotional illness. I will miss him greatly."
Following his time on screen, Rich remained largely out of the spotlight. Over the course of his life, he battled substance abuse issues and was arrested -- and bailed out of jail by his TV father -- Dick Van Patten in 1991, according to the Los Angeles Times.
In 2021, Rich took part in CNN’s The History of the Sitcom. Following his appearance, the actor took to Instagram to celebrate the occasion.
"Honored to be included ! Thx @cnn !… I’m grateful for the joy felt while working on 8!… I do hope it may have brought you some joy as well…🙏🏼🙂," he wrote at the time. "At 52… I still don’t understand complicated 😏🤨😉🤣."
RELATED CONTENT:
